I love the teasing that goes on between French and Americans, and also between English and Americans. I like to hear "frog" jokes even though I don't have any idea what the connection is. (I hear all the stuff about mean Frenchies, but every single one I've met personally has been extraordinarily gracious.) I don't like the mean-spiritedness that sometimes accompanies these things, but basic teasing I appreciate. I thought changing the name of French Fries to Freedom Fries was stupid, but when a French restaurant started serving hamburgers with Idiot Cheese, I thought that was pretty funny.

It reminds me of one of the central ironies of War and Peace. The book talks about two franco-russian wars and the intervening period of peace. The main character is a Russian, Pierre. Not Peter. Not Piotr. Pierre. He starts out a boob, kinda happy-go-lucky ne'er do well and evolves into a genuine, caring person with profound intelligence and insight. Here are the Russians and war with the French, and the main character, the guy who eventually comes to manifest the highest "Russian" virtues has a French name.

Another irony occurs when there are aristocrats lounging around, pissing and moaning and they get this brilliant idea that anyone who speaks French has to put a ruble into a jar. The problem is that some of them speak only French so they have to get tutors to learn their own mother tongue. Also, the bilingual complain loudly because their are so many ideas that can be expressed beautifully in French and not at all, or very poorly in Russian.

Not exactly pertinent to the discussion. Just a random thought that occurs to me while considering this thread.

k